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Junior SEAL program prepares students for future

The Junior Navy SEALs of Stanislaus County go through inspection at Naval Base Coronado (Photo contributed).

ANGELINA MARTIN

Updated:
April 9, 2019, 7:45 p.m.

A program in Stanislaus County is aiming to
help boys and girls see if they have what it takes to become a Navy SEAL, all
while helping them become respectable members of society in the process.

High school students who think they’d someday
like to join the United States Navy Sea, Air and Land Teams, known as the
SEALs, can get a taste of the military life through the Junior Navy SEALs of
Stanislaus County — a program that aims to develop leadership within its
members, educate them on how to evaluate high-intensity situations, instill in
them proper etiquette and help them overcome adversity in life.

The program began 10 years ago and has since
seen 1,000 local students benefit from its curriculum, with 400 graduating from
the program. According to coach Buddy Wesson, about half of the students who
graduate from the program go on to a two- or four-year college and then the
military, while just over 40 percent go straight into the military and the
remaining numbers enter the workforce.

The junior SEALs pause for a picture in front of Coronado’s newest statue of a Navy SEAL titled, “First Ashore" (Photo contributed).

“This program asks students two things: do you
have the body, and do you have the mental ability to be a SEAL?” Wesson said.
“We teach them to be both an officer and a gentleman. Whether you go to
college, go into the workforce or go into the military, once you’ve gone through
this you’re ahead of the game.”

The Junior Navy SEALs program brings students
from throughout Stanislaus County together and prepares them to compete in the
Trident Challenge, held at Naval Base Coronado every year. From traveling to
sandy beaches for miles-long runs to dumping ice into local swimming pools to
prepare for the cold, the students are tested mentally and physically, just as
would happen once they join the real SEALs.

The purpose of the program is not only to test
students’ limits in terms of SEAL capabilities, but also works to produce
upstanding citizens. No student can be on the Junior Navy SEALs team if he or
she partakes in any drug- or alcohol-related activities, and students must have
at least a 2.0 GPA, though Wesson pushes his junior SEALs to obtain at least a
3.5.

While in the program, students must also show
command of the “Six Elements of Life,” which include communication, team work,
situational awareness, goal setting, stress control and etiquette. These are
the “tools of the trade,” Wesson said, and develop a solid foundation for each
member’s future.

Philanthropy is important too, and the Junior
Navy SEALs often volunteer at events throughout the community. Most recently,
the team served and cleaned up at the Ceres SWAT Association’s fundraising
dinner.

“People meet these students and just
immediately ask me, ‘Who are these kids?’ It’s rare these days to meet kids who
will square up with you, shake your hand firmly and treat you with respect,”
Wesson said. “We want to train admirals who will look at a crowd and be
confident in themselves.”

The program began accepting female students
into its ranks just two years ago, when the U.S. Navy SEALs began to do the
same. Since then, Wesson has seen numerous girls go through the program and go
on to find success in both academics and the military.

Currently, the Junior Navy SEALs of Stanislaus
County is working on the renovation of a building to be used as their meeting
place/headquarters, but funds are short, Wesson said. To run the program over
the last decade, he has had to spend thousands of dollars of his own money, and
the program is looking to the community to help.

Those interested in either joining the Junior
Navy SEALs of Stanislaus County or donating to the program can contact Wesson
at wpwesson@wpwesson.com.